Ticket issuing mechanism



Aug. 28, 1962 Filed April 15, 1959 H. W. SHEPARD, JR

TICKET ISSUING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Harry M! Shepard, Jr.

gram/(Zn HIS ATTORNEYS 1952 H. w. SHEPARD, JR 3,051,953

v TICKET ISSUING MECHANISM Filed April 15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Harry M! Shepard, Jr.

BY 6 Z F, 9 5M W55 ATTORNEYS" United States Patent Ofitice 3,051,953 Patented Aug. 28., 1962 3,051,953 TICKET ISSUING MECHANISM Harry W. Shepard, Jr., 625 Sianwix St., Pittsburgh 22, Pa. Filed Apr. 15, 1959, Ser. No. 806,479 Claims. (Cl. 346--24) This application relates to ticket issuing mechanism, especially for use in machines for issuing time stamped parking lot tickets.

Vehicular parking charges are based on elapsed time and, therefore, it is convenient in parking lots and garages to imprint upon the users claim check or ticket the starting time at which he initially parked his vehicle. Although the final charge is required to be computed by a cashier present when the user presents his timeimprinted ticket to claim his vehicle, the initial ticket issuance is purely a mechanical function which is now possible to be accomplished automatically by machine when the user arrives. According to the practice, a vehicle presence switch circuit is located adjacent the issuing machine for sensing presence of an incoming vehicle; and upon arrival of the same, the machine time stamps and issues the claim ticket which is then manually removed therefrom and retained by the user of the arriving vehicle. Some machines for this purpose are provided with a spring-wound clock movement although the popular machines now have electrical movements and the entire ticket issuance Operation is electrically controlled automatically.

One problem is associated with the issuance procedure of the above character which must necessarily be performed in intermittent cycles of operation enabling tickets to be individually stamped, automatically cut, and then removed one at a time; the problem arises in the fact that an accurate length of the printed ticket strip must be cut and issued each cycle and the issuing mechanism is, therefore, required to be precisely stopped prior to cutting without overrun or underrun. Otherwise, the uniformly pre-printed serial numbering and claim check instructions on the ticket strip would become disassociated or interrupted in the wrong place on the strip creating confusion. Customarily, such pre-printed ticket strip is also pro-punched with drive sprocket holes for feeding through the issuing machine; and in existing machines, feed wheel drive sprockets are employed embodying single revolution clutches or interrupted face feed wheels as a substitute therefor for purposes of controlling the ticket strip. However, the mechanism is somewhat complicated and heavy and the shock of starting and stopping it makes for a generally jerky motion which is found to be disadvantageous. These existing machines are also expensive due to their heaviness and general complexity.

According to the present invention, the foregoing disadvantages and drawbacks in ticket issuers are materially reduced if not substantially eliminated. A simple friction feed drive and a ticket cutter mechanism are provided in my machine in conjunction with an appropriate time stamp, and these components are accurately controlled in timed coordination to advance and cut the ticket under conditions of a smooth friction drive operation. An especially accurate measuring mechanism is provided in my machine sensing at all times the length of the ticket strip being advanced and when this length has been reached, it is automatically severed. A rotary friction drive is employed for the foregoing purpose and it opcrates in a novel manner producing no abrupt shock of starting and stopping attendant with intervening cycles of issuance.

As above indicated, the strip measuring mechanism in my machine is primarily adapted for measuring and cutting time-stamped ticket strip stock which it does by measuring accurate submultiples of each passing length and counting same with a totalizer eifect reaching a full count before terminating that length. In broader aspects, however, the present measuring mechanism is generally applicable to measure lengths of strip, ribbon, or bar stock of either metals or non-metals such as fabric or tape; the measured lenths may be indicated by a full or by a mere partial severance such as through pinking operations or they can be marked with a dab or with a spray applied mark of paint. Any convenient actuatable work performing member suitable to the desired operation is employed; and in conjunction therewith, a mechanical counter may be employed to keep accurate record of the total lengths of the material in question which has been issued. Insofar as concerns the submultiple totalizer above referred to, an electrical stepping relay has been found entirely satisfactory for the purpose, arranged with the reset coil thereof automatically operating with the passage of each completed length.

Further features, objects, and advantages will be specifically pointed out or become apparent when for a better understanding of the invention reference is made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating a ticket issuing machine embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial section taken along the section lines II--II of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic diagram of the electrical operating circuit for the machine;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of typical ticket stock material being advanced through the machine; and

FIGURE 5 is a schematic diagram showing a modified form of the machine employed purely for length-measuring purposes.

More particularly, in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a ticket issuing machine 10 is shown having a ticket magazine 12 connected thereto at one side and a vehicle presence switch circuit unit 14 connected by a pair of leads 16 thereto at the same side. The case of the machine 10 is formed with a ticket outlet slot 18 .at the opposite side thereof and with a check-out time slot 20 located in the front face. Above the slot 20, a time indicating instrument 22 presents the usual clock dial over which the customary hands 24 travel to indicate the minute and hour of the day.

In operation, the machine of FIGURE 1 is actuated when the unit 14 detects the presence of a vehicle thereabove. The unit 14 may consist simply of a treadle switch, provided the upper surface thereof is yieldable to the weight of the vehicle, or it may contain more elaborate electrical apparatus which by physical engagement or by inductive or capacitive coupling with the metal of the vehicle operates to establish an electrical contact incident to its presence or mere proximity. The machine 10 then draws part of the strip of ticket stock material from the magazine 12 and in coordination with the time indicating instrument 22 delivers a time-stamped parking ticket through the outlet slot 18 where it is manually removed by the driver of the vehicle. The check-out time slot 20 is purely for convenience of the parking attendant and operates to imprint, upon any ticket inserted therein in the direction of the dotted arrow, the correct check-out time but with the time figures obviously at right angles to the check-in time numbers as originally imprinted on each issued ticket leaving the slot 18. The machine 10 can thus be employed to enter the total record on any ticket used, enabling the cashier to compute the final charge right at that point.

A portion of the ticket strip feed mechanism and the ticket time stamp are shown in FIGURE 2. The magazine 12 which in its width-wise dimension as shown in FIG- URE 2 is equal to two ticket lengths, carries a so-called endless length of accordion-pleated ticket stock material 26 which has been pre-printed and pre-punched in customary way with sprocket drive holes located a distance apart equal to a submultiple of the length of the ticket. Each added quantity of accordion-pleated ticket stock 26, which is readily inserted upon opening the hinged cover 28 of the magazine 12, is arranged to be secured to the preceding piece by means of a gummed sticker 30 which is carried by one or the other of the pieces to be joined. In this manner, there is no difficulty attached to keeping the magazine fully loaded nor complications as to splicing which occur with rolls of ticket strip stock.

The ticket material is trained on one or more rollers 32 over which it is drawn by means of an advancing mechanism including a strip translating control member 34 presenting opposite arms and mounted to oscillate on a fixed pivot 36. A brake block 38 is pivoted to one arm of the control member 34 and carries an armature at its lower end which is controlled by means of an electromagnetic run solenoid 46.

A spring 42 connected to an opposite arm of the member 34 acts in opposition to the solenoid 40 for springloading and moving the brake block 38 into engagement with the adjacent portion 44 of the ticket strip. The latter arm also carries a ticket feed wheel 46 which is journalled for rotation on a shaft thereon so as to be rocked toward and away from a companion friction feed wheel 48. The companion feed wheel 48 is fast to a drive shaft on which it turns on a fixed axis by means of an electric drive motor M and suitable speed reduction gearing (not shown) coupling the motor to the shaft. If desired, the two shafts adjacent the outer ends of the wheels 46 and 48 can carry a pair of constantly meshing spur wheels to insure coordinated rotation. Therefore, when the motor M is running, the friction feed wheels 46 and 48 continually run at equal peripheral speeds. Pursuant to the minor movement necessary to overcome the brake-loading spring 42 and to bring the companion friction wheels 46 and 48 into clamped relation on the strip portion 44, the result is that the strip advances as long as the armature and the energized solenoid 40 are not deenergized. In this way, the feed wheels and the brake block 38 can be made to move alternately into operative engagement with the strip so that it is either being positively advanced under friction drive or positively held stopped through brake friction.

The strip 44 feeds beneath a set of time-stamp wheels 50 which are periodically advanced in rotation by means of a constantly rotating shaft 52 leading from an electric clock motor mechanism C. The shaft 52 rotates in conventional way once per minute, thereby advancing the hands 24 of the instrument of FIGURE 1 one minutes reading at a time. An inked time-imprint ribbon 54 is suspended between the set of wheels 50 and the strip 44 on the upper side of the strip and therebelow a timestamp platen 56 is located in operative relation to an actuating solenoid 58 for imprinting time on the strip. The relation of the check-out time slot 20 is depicted by phantom lines in FIGURE 2 to indicate how the guideway therefrom registers so as to enable an already issued ticket to be interposed immediately above the ticket strip 44 for the check-out purposes previously discussed in connection with FIGURE 1.

Intermediate the advancing mechanism and the time stamp mechanism, a feeler switch 60 is provided carrying an interposed telltale 62 which depends above an opening in a ticket strip guideway and which rides from sprocket hole to sprocket hole in the ticket strip 44 advancing across the guideway. In this way, the feeler switch 60 mechanically counts the submultiples of length of the passing strip, taking its measurement in terms of the number of holes passing therebeneath.

In FIGURE 3, the feeler switch 60 is shown connected to one of a pair of service wires 64 for supplying pulses of current to the stepping coil 66 of a multiposition stepping relay 68. The clock motor C is connected to the same service wire and through a return circuit 67 to the other service wire so that the clock motor C continuously runs at one revolution per minute.

The relay 68 closes a contact in its first or starting position as illustrated which is connected through a conductor 70 to the latch coil 72 of a latching relay. The latch coil 72 has a return circuit path leading through a normally open treadle switch 74 in the presence unit 14, through a ticket switch 76, through a reset coil 78 in the relay 68, and thence to the appropriate service wire 64. Upon presence of the wheel of a vehicle shown in dotted lines upon unit 14 in FIGURE 3, the latch coil 72 of the latching relay is operated so as to close the lower or latched contacts in the respective four sets of contacts a, b, c, and d thereof which thus remain while the latching relay is in its lowermost or latched position. Thus, the lower contacts in the set d prepare the return circuit 67 so that with each operation of the feeler switch 60, the stepping coil 66 operates to advance the multi-position relay one time. The lower contacts in the adjacent set 0 in their latched position operate the friction feed wheel motor M by connecting it in circuit between the service wires 64 and these contacts further operate the run solenoid 40 for oscillating the control member 34 of FIGURE 2 in a clockwise direction to cause the strip 44 to be frictionally advanced. Therefore, the telltale 62 is appropriately actuated, which telltale being constrained to ride only part way through the plane of the strip 44 (FIGURE 3) and thence upwardly out of said plane as it moves in and out of the holes of the passing strip 44; thus as the telltale 62 steps, it likewise steps the coil 66 through the creation of current impulses corresponding to the length of the strip.

An unlatch and resetting coil 80 in the latching relay is connected at one end to one of the service wires 64 and has a lead 82 at the opposite end leading to any predetermined one n of the number of contacts in the multiposition relay, for instance, the fourth contact 84 as illustrated in FIGURE 3. Thus, when the relay reaches its fourth position, it energizes the unlatch and resetting coil 80 to reset the sets of contacts, a, b, c, and d into their original position. At this point, the ticket switch 76 will occupy its dotted line position owing to the emergence of the timestamped strip 44 therebeneath. Thus, the ticket switch 76 establishes a connection from one service wire 64- to a junction point 85 common to one side of a cut-off solenoid 86 and a signal bell 88 which are connected in parallel. The closed upper contacts in the set I: in the latching relay complete the foregoing circuit so as to effectively cut ofi the strip 44- and signal a warning to the driver of the arrived vehicle. When the driver thus alerted removes the severed strip ticket 90 from the outlet slot 13, the ticket trips the ticket switch 76 which is thereupon restored to its solid line position where it disconnects the cutter solenoid 86 and the warning signal 88 from circuit. Simultaneously, the ticket switch 76 prepares another circuit which includes the treadle switch 74 so as to provide for another cycle of operation of the issuing machine.

The time imprint solenoid 58 is operated in either of two ways. When it operates the platen 56 against the strip 44, this operation is caused by the treadle switch 74 when it completes a circuit as follows: current flows through the closed upper contacts in the set 0; through the solenoid 58; through the treadle switch 74; and through the ticket switch 76 to the junction 85; thence through the reset coil 78 and through the upper contacts in the set a to the return service wire 64. In this Way, the time stamp operates simultaneously with operation of the latch coil 72 in the latching relay and, therefore, inherently precedes physical motion of the ticket strip. Also, while the upper contacts in the set 0 are in their closed or unlatched position, the solenoid 58 can be manually operated by means of operating a momentarily maintained feeler switch 92 which is aligned with but inside of the check-out time slot 20, not shown. This switch is operated by inserting an issued ticket which moves it from its dotted line position to the solid line position 92 as shown, thereby energizing an interrupter solenoid 94 at the same time at which the solenoid 53 is energized. The interrupter solenoid 94 forthwith interrupts current being supplied to the solenoid 58 and is arranged with a retarded reclosing action preventing the solenoid 58 from restamping the ticket before it can be removed from the check-out time slot 20.

It will be appreciated from an examination of FIGURE 3 that the circuit which contains the treadle switch 74 becomes inoperative as soon as the multiposition relay 68 makes its first step and thereafter the machine is disabled from issuing another ticket until the time stamped ticket being worked by the machine is removed from beneath the ticket switch 76.

A selector switch 96 can be appropriately connected between the lead 82 to the reset coil 80 and the appropriate multiposition contacts in the stepping relay 68. The particular position of the selector switch 96 shown in solid lines in FIGURE 3 makes it responsive to the fourth contact 84 in the stepping relay. However, any appropriate contact may be selected by rotating the switch depending on whether the fourth, fifth, or so forth, position of the stepping switch is desired for resetting the latching relay and resetting the stepping relay 68 for repetitive cycles.

In FIGURE 4, a ball-shaped telltale 62 provided for the feeler switch is shown in its operative position riding the path of customary circular-shaped sprocket holes 93 formed in the strip 44. Ticket design and stock vary with manufacturers and in the example illustrated, the strip was formed into 2. by 4" tickets each having four holes therein spaced 1" center to center. Thus, each hole is a su bmultiple distance from the next hole equal to onefourth the length of the desired ticket 90. The intended severance lines are indicated in dotted lines at 100, and severance is caused by an upwardly movable cutter blade 102 operated by the cutter solenoid 86 of FIGURE 3. After severance, the individual ticket 90 stays trapped beneath and supports the ticket switch 76 in an upper position and the switch 76 re-lowers itself only when the ticket 90 is pulled from the ticket outlet slot 18.

In FIGURE 5, a modified form of the invention is shown which receives current for its power from a pair of electrical service wires 164. A feeler switch 160 carries a telltale 162 which in place of riding directly upon the elongated stock 144 is deflected for its current impulses by means of pegs carried by a measuring wheel 145 which is operatively engaged with the stock.

For practical purposes of having a wheel diameter no smaller than slightly less than an inch, the pegs provided on the wheel 145 in this example are three in number and, thus, with each inch of travel of the stock 144, on peg deflects the telltale 162 for each operation of the switch 160.

A multiposition stepping relay, a selector switch, and a latching relay are shown in solid lines but not numbered in FIGURE 5; inasmuch as they operate in the same manner as with preceding embodiment of FIGURE 3, their detailed description will not be repeated. A switch 174 which can be a treadle switch as already described operates the circuits as before and a work performing solenoid 186 and a signal bell 188 operate therein in the previous manner upon expiration of each full count of submultiples of the stock 144. The work performing solenoid 186 operates a work performing member 189 which can pink the material or daub it with paint or sever it in the ways hereinabove specified to indicate marks or divisions of length.

Operation of the device according to the circuit of FIGURE 5 is the same as in the preceding embodiment in regard to the drive motor M for advancing the stock and in regard to an electromagnetic run solenoid 140 so as to cause the driving roller (not shown) and the brake block (not shown) to move alternatively into operative engagement with the stock of material 144. In view of the fact that the motor M might desirably be a heavy operating motor particularly if metal strip or metal bar stock is being measured, a starting relay 142 is provided to bring the motor into operation at the time at which the run solenoid is actuated.

It will be noted in FIGURE 5 that no ticket switch is provided and that a time stamp is unnecessary where purely a measuring function is involved. It is evident that if the treadle switch 174 of FIGURE 5 is held closed by the operator, the work performing member 189 will continue to mark the material at the right intervals as long as the drive motor M advances the material. In the example illustrated, the markings will be made at every fourth inch inasmuch as the selector switch is shown in the fourth position. It is evident that with additional positions on the selector switch and stepping relay, it would be possible to mark the material every 6" or every foot and so forth, as required. Also, the diameter of the measuring 'wheel or number of pegs thereon or both can be varied to change the units from inches to fractions or to feet or yards and so forth.

In the preceding embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent that a great flexibility of operation is possible; and in the instance of ticket strip material for example, the number n of pre-punched sprocket holes per ticket and the dimensions of the ticket itself are immaterial. That is to say, the selector switch '96 of FIGURE 3 can be appropriately set to change from the ticket stock of one manufacturer to that of another without requiring revisions of the machine. It will be appreciated that the mechanism is essentially shock-free in operation and in view of the simplified parts will be relatively economical to fabricate and to finally assemble.

As herein disclosed, the direct hole-sensing telltale is shown operatively disposed in physical engagement with the strip of FIGURE 3, whereas in FIGURE 5 the telltale is embodied in an olfset measuring wheel mechanism of which the wheel 145 only is actually engaged with the material. It is evident that the measuring mechanism of FIGURE 3 is equally applicable to any punched material and, contrariwise, the measuring wheel mechanism of FIGURE 5 is self-evidently applicable to both punched and unpunched material. Similarly, other variations within the spirit and scope of the invention described are equally comprehended by the foregoing description.

I claim:

1. A vehicle parking ticket issuing machine comprising storage means at one side thereof for holding a strip of ticket material, a ticket outlet slot on the opposite side of said machine, time stamp means intermediate said storage means and said outlet slot, magazine feed mechanism including a strip translating control member for advancing said ticket material across the time stamp mechanism toward said outlet slot, said machine having an externally mounted vehicle presence switch circuit, means operated by said circuit and connected to said time stamp means and said mechanism of said machine effective upon presence of a vehicle thereadjacent to operate said time stamp on said strip and to initiate a ticket strip advancing cycle of said mechanism for issuing a resulting time stamped ticket, a check-out time slot formed in said machine and located adjacent said time stamp means, and means including a ticket presence switch and connected to said time stamp means to independently operate said time stamp upon presence of an issued ticket in said check-out time slot.

2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein said storage means comprises a magazine for holding a stock of endless length accordion-pleated strip material adapted to be endlessly added to Without disturbance or interruption of the strip, and a ticket feed wheel rotatably carried by the strip translating control member in said ticket advancing feed mechanism, said control member operative to oscillate the rotatable feed wheel about a fixed axis into a friction feed position of operative engagement with said strip to unstack the pleated strip material from the top of said magazine and advance same toward the ticket outlet slot.

3. A vehicle parking ticket issuing machine comprising storage means at one side thereof for holding a strip of ticket material, a ticket outlet slot on the opposite side of said machine, time stamp means intermediate said storage means and said outlet slot, mechanism including a strip translating control member for advancing said ticket material across the time stamp means toward said outlet slot, said machine having an externally mounted vehicle presence switch circuit, means operated by said circuit and connected to said time stamp means and said mechanism of said machine efiective upon presence of a vehicle thereadjacent to operate said time stamp on said strip and to initiate a ticket strip advancing cycle of said mechanism for issuing a resulting time stamped ticket, circuit means including a ticket switch connected to prevent premature recycling of said ticket strip advancing mechanism and effective to signal the issuance of each time stamped ticket, a check-out time slot formed in said machine and located adjacent said time stamp means, and means including a ticket presence switch and connected to said time stamp means to independently operate said time stamp upon presence of an issued ticket in said check-out time slot.

4. A vehicle parking ticket issuing machine comprising storage means at one side thereof for holding a strip of ticket material, a ticket outlet slot on the opposite side of said machine, time stamp means intermediate said storage means and said outlet slot, mechanism including a strip translating control member for advancing said ticket material across the time stamp mechanism toward said outlet slot, said machine having an externally mounted vehicle presence switch circuit, means operated by said circuit and connected to said time stamp means and said mechanism of said machine effective upon presence of a vehicle thereadjacent to operate said time stamp on said strip and to initiate a ticket strip advancing cycle of said mechanism for issing a resulting time stamped ticket, circuit means including a ticket switch connected to prevent premature recycling of said ticket strip advancing mechanism and effective to signal the issuance of each time stamped ticket, a check-out time slot formed in said machine and located adjacent said time stamp means, and means including a ticket presence switch connected to independtntly operate said time stamp upon presence of r a ticket in said check-out time slot, there being a guideway in said machine leading from the check-out time slot to a point of confrontation between said strip of ticket material and an adjacent portion of said time stamp means, said ticket switch being internally located within said machine in alignment with said ticket outlet slot, said ticket presence switch being located in line with the guideway aforesaid leading from said check-out time slot and connected to said time stamp means.

5. A vehicle parking ticket issuing machine comprising storage means at one side thereof for holding a strip of ticket material, a ticket outlet slot on the opposite side of said machine, time stamp means intermediate said storage means and said outlet slot, mechanism including a strip translating control member for advancing said ticket material across the time stamp mechanism toward said outlet slot, said machine having an externally mounted vehicle presence switch circuit, means operated by said circuit and connected to said time stamp means and said mechanism of said machine effective upon presence of a vehicle thereadjacent to operate said time stamp on said strip and to initiate a ticket strip advancing cycle of said mechanism for issuing a resulting time stamped ticket, circuit means including a ticket switch connected to prevent premature recycling of said ticket strip advancing mechanism and eflective to signal the issuance of each time stamped ticket, a check-out time slot formed in said machine and located adjacent said time stamp means, and means including a ticket presence switch connected to said time stamp means to independently operate said time stamp upon presence of a ticket in said check-out time slot, there being a guideway in said machine leading from the check-out time slot to a point of confrontation between said strip of ticket material and an adjacent portion of said time stamp means, said ticket switch being located internally of said machine in alignment with said ticket outlet slot, said ticket presence switch being located in line with the guideway aforesaid leading from said check-out time slot, a time indicating instrument externally mounted on said machine immediately adjacent said check-out time slot, and a clock movement Within said machine presenting an actuating shaft common to said time stamp means and to said time indicating instrument for coordinating operation of same.

6. A time-recorded ticket machine having storage and advancing means operable for advancing from storage a fresh supply of ticket material to be worked, a case formed with a ticket outlet slot for the Worked ticket material and formed with a second slot, said second slot receptive to used ticket material inserted from outside the case, a time stamp platen operatively aligned with both slots, said case forming an enclosure for said time stamp platen and the ticket material being worked, a plurality of presence switches, and switch-actuated means operated by said presence switches and connected to control operation of said time stamp platen, whereby upon presence of an object sensed by each switch the platen causes the ticket material to be time stamped.

7. A machine according to claim 6 wherein one switch which is externally mounted comprises a vehicle presence switch to time stamp the ticket material being worked, with the recorded arrival time of the vehicle, wherein another of the switches which is within the second slot comprises a used-ticket presence switch to record a. checkout time thereupon, and wherein the slots formed in said case are mutually at right angles to one another and to said platen so that the two stamped times for identification purposes are mutually at right angles to one another when both stamps are applied by the same machine to the ticket used.

8. In a parlcing check issuing machine, the combination of power-operated cut-off mechanism capable of movement to cut otf individual checks from a supply strip of hole-bearing check material, storage means for holding a supply of the material for the cut-off mechanism and separated from the latter by a space, time stamp means and hole-counting actuating mechanism intervening in said space in series relationship one to another, a case for the machine supporting said mechanisms and said time stamp means therein in the aforesaid manner in operative relationship to said material, friction means for frictionally engaging and advancing said material to the cut-off mechanism in a direction across said time stamp means and said hole-counting actuating mechanism, and control means operatively connected to said frictionally engaging and advancing means and to said stamp means and to said mechanisms whereby said strip material advances between stopped positions and whereby both said stamp means stamps same once and said cut-off mechanism severs therefrom one check with n holes therein, for every nth hole advanced.

9. In a parking check issuing machine having at least one open slot for checks affording access from the outside, the combination of storage means for holding a supply strip of hole-bearing check material and disposed with a space between it and the open slot, time stamp means and hole-counting actuating m chanism intervening in said space in series relationship one to another, a case for the machine supporting said mechanism and said time stamp means therein in the aforesaid manner in operative relationship to said material, second stop and go friction mechanism for frictionally engaging and advancing said material between stopped positions in a direction across said time stamp means and said hole-counting actuating mechanism, and actuated means operatively connected to said time stamp means and to said second mechanism, said actuated means arranged to actuate said stamp means and said second mechanism to advance said strip, said second mechanism controlled by said actuating mechanism every nth hole where n is a uniform whole number greater than unity, whereby when but after said time stamp means stamps said material in a stopped position, said second mechanism advances said material to a new stopped position and automatically stops same for application of another time-recorded stamp, with every nth hole advanced.

10. Ina time-recorded check machine, the combination of power-operated first cut-off mechanism capable of movement to cut oif individual checks from a supply strip of check material, storage means for holding a supply strip of hole-bearing check material for the cut-off mechanism and separated from the latter by a space, time stamp means and second hole-counting actuating mechanism intervening in said space in series relationship one to another, a case for the machine supporting the first and second mechanisms and said stamp means therein in the aforesaid manner operative relationship to the supply strip, said actuating mechanism comprising a multiposition relay having a stepping coil and reset means, means actuated in response to each hole encountered in the supply strip of material and connected to said stepping coil to create a stepping impulse with each hole of each series of 11 holes being counted by said second actuating mechanism for correspondingly advancing said relay through 11 successive positions, position-responsive resetting mechanism connected to control said reset means and operative in response to advancement of said relay to the nth position to reset said relay for the next series of counts, a selector switch connected to said positionresponsive resetting mechanism to preselect the position of the relay at which said mechanism responds for recycling, friction means for frictionally engaging and advancing said strip material to the cut-off mechanism in a direction across said time stamp means and said holecounting actuating mechanism, and actuated means operatively connected to said frictionaily engaging and advancing means and to said stamp means and to said first and second mechanisms whereby said strip of material advances between stopped positions and whereby both said stamp means stamps same once and said cut-oif mechanism severs there-from the one portion stamped, for every nth iiole advanced.

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